31-2.
Yeah, it was ugly. The UBC Thunderbirds came to SFU’s Terry Fox Field in the cold and blistering rain only to hand the Clansmen yet another devastating loss. Only this one seemed to sting the hardest; and why shouldn’t it? The game marked the first time the Clan were able to host a football game on their own field, it was Shrum Bowl XXX with the series tied 14-14-1. It presented the boys with their most golden opportunity to win its first game in three years and retain some form of pride … but in the end, it turned out to be salt in the wounds to what has already been a season to forget.
The shellacking eliminates SFU from any hope of playoff contention. But should the media really be talking playoffs when they should be talking about winning a game? Give me a break there, guys. The loss also marks the last Shrum Bowl for fifth-year starting QB Jason Marshall, who was sacked and picked off at various points of the game and couldn’t seemingly stimulate any form of attack with the Clan offense. Jordan Scheltgen came in at the fourth quarter to replace Marshall.
But for me, the biggest shock seemed to be the words which came from head coach Dave Johnson following the matchup during his interviews with reporters. It was pretty subtle, but quite serious nonetheless:
“We are not ready to play college football.”
Markus Naslund’s display of offense on Saturday night versus the Calgary Flames was a little bit of a flashback for Canuck fans from ‘03 as they saw a glimpse of his former MVP self. The footwork he showed in busting up the left wing to get by a Calgary defenceman on that powerplay showed a lot of determination and confidence on Naslund’s part. His shot, though you could tell was only a fraction of his 2003 firepower, was enough to squeak through Miikka Kiprusoff’s legs. Granted, the Finn netminder should’ve had the shot, but nonetheless it was impressive and pleasantly surprising to see Naslund put on a show.
On to some of the ugly parts of his game. Naslund, despite finishing the contest with a goal and assist, still finished -1. In San Jose he was on the ice for all three Sharks goals to finish that game with -3. Put the two together and he’s -4 (No, not +2, smart asses). Normally I wouldn’t be nitpicky in the circumstances, but in a system where Alain Vigneault emphasizes strong defensive play (a system to which Naslund has bought into) it leaves a little something to be desired. If Naslund can keep up this recent display of offence while increasing his defensive awareness (better backcheck, smarter two-way play) I would still be satisfied if Naslund finished the year with 30 goals and an even rating.
Don’t get me wrong, Naslund played terrific on Saturday night. But this is just the second game of an 82 (possibly more) game season and the road doesn’t get any easier from here on out. Naslund has to put together a few more consistent performances before anyone decides to make the claim that he’s back to his 2003 self. But for now, everyone will take the 4-3 OT win and see how it goes from there…
